Apparatus for making printing-plates.



M. A. DROITGOUR.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES.

APPI-TGATION FILED MAY 26 11110.

' Patented May 30, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. A. DROITOOUR.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED MAI 26, 1910. 993 971 Patented May 30, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES If INVENTOR I v 6 %M /,&Q Me

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May arranarus ron MAKING PRINTING-mares.

Application filed May 28, 1910. Serial No, 563,618.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL A. Dnorr- COUR, a resident of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making. Printing-Plates. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a press for making either printing plates from celluloid or similar plastic material, or matrices from which printing plates can be made.

The object of the invent-ion is to provide a press. for this urpose which is of simple construction, positive in its action and convenient to .use.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter'described and claimed.

In the accompaying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of a press embodying-my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail vertical section through the hollow press-plates or platens on the line 44 Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3.

The press illustrated in the drawings comprises a suitable base 1, a head or upper pressure member 2, a table or lower pressure member 3, and suitable connections and actuating mechanism. The pressure members 2 and 3 are perfectly rigid and are arranged for relative approximation and separation in exact parallelism to each other; It is obvious that. either or both of said members may be movable. As shown, the lower member is movable and the upper member stationary. To this end the upper member or head 2 and base 1 are connected by the tie rods or columns 4, which fit in notches in the edges of said head and base, are held therein by means of removable caps 6, and

are provided on their ends with beads or I standards respectivel The inner ends of the levers are provi ed with concave seats resting upon the pins 14 which in turn rest upon the piston 15 of a suitable power cylinder 16 secured to or formed in the base 1 and provided with suitable valve controlled inlets and outlets for the pressure medium, which ma be either compressed air or water, preterably the former. The arrangement shown gives a very powerful uplift'to the lower pressure member 3, and in exact parallelism to the press head, but gives only a-limited stroke or travel.

Cooperating with the upper and lowerpressure members are suitable hollow plates marked 18 and 19 respectively, which are substantially duplicates of each other, and which constitute the platens or pressure faces of the press between'which the matrix and the lastic 'sheetare pressed to form the printing plate. These platens are hollow in order to have admitted thereto steam 'for heating and rendering plastic the celluloid sheet, and also to have admitted thereto water for the purpose of cooling the same when the ressing isfinished.

In order to ren er the operation of the press rapid, the hollow platens 18 and 19 are of light construction so that they quickly heat and cool when the steam and water respectively are admitted thereto. It is not necessary that they have any great strength, since they are backed by the heavy unyielding upper and lower pressure members which prevent the light hollow platens from becoming strained or getting out of true. Any form of light hollow platens will answer the purpose. .They may be formed of castings suitably cored out. Those shown are of special built u construction, and are substantially dup icates of each other. 'Each comprises the main or body member 20 which forms one face of the platen, and which is provided with pesolutely tight joint the peripheral walls are in v provided inside of the row of rivets with a oove 27 for receiving a strip of wire solder or other soft metal which is firmly squeezed down into said groove when the cover plate is riveted on. Outside. of the rivets the peripheral walls and cover plate are provi grooves, which together form a dovetailed or undercut groove 28 into which solder is poured after the riveting is complete. This forms a perfectly steam and water tight joint between the cover plate and the body of the platen. Both the body of the platen and the cover plate are preferably formed of brass or' similar metal, and after they are united the cover or face plate is finished to a perfectly smooth fiat face.

The platens are placed between the upper and lower pressure members with the cover plates of the platens bearing against the pressure members. The lower platen rests loosely on the lower pressure member so that it can be readily taken out and put in. The upper platen, however, must be secured to the upper pressure member.. This may be effected in any suitable way. As shown, said platen is provided with lugs 30 which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the head of the press. c

For the admission of steam and water to the hollow platens the bodies or main porprovided with two supply branches, to wit,-

a branch 38 for steam .and a branch. 39for water, while the pipe connections on the other side of the pressare provided with ,two exhaust branches, to wit, a branch 40 leading to the sewer and a branch 41 leading to a steam trap. One of the presser plates or platens, such as the u per presser plate or platen 18, is also provlde'd with a' horizonta tapped'hole 42 communicatin with a vertical hole 43 which leads throug said plate to the space between the two presser' plates. To the hole 43 there is connected a pipe or hose member 44 which leads.

tov a suitable source of vacuum, such as a suctlonpump, or a,reservo1r or tank in which pressure less than atmospheric pressure is maintained.

During the pressing operation the matrix and plastic sheet are entirely inclosed in an air tight chamber from which the air is ed with registering annular.

exhausted through the connection44. This is effected by providing a seal, such rubber or similar ring or wall 45 between the pressure members, said sealing member being shown as supported on a flange 46 on the lower platen and surrounding the presser faces of the platens and outside the celluloid sheets and matrix. It is of suificlent height so that when the platens are brought.

together this rubber ring is compressed to form an absolutely air tight work inclosing chamber. As a consequence, the pressing is efi'ected while exhausting air from the chamber, thereby preventing the accumulation of air between the matrix and celluloid sheet or between the celluloid sheet and presser plates or platens and preventing the trapping of air and formation of bubbles and unevenness of the celluloid sheet or plate.

The platens of the press have only a very limited stroke, and therefore it is impossible to adjust or fix the work after it is placed in the press, but this must be done before placing it in and after taking it out of the press. To facilitate this the press is provided on opposite sides with tables. On one side isthe'table 47 whose top is on a level with the lower presser plate or platen 19 whenthe latter is in its lowermost position. On theopposite side of the press is another table 48 whose top is on a level with the top face of the lower pressure member 3 whenthe latter is in its lowermost position. These tables may be secured to the press frame but asshown are secured to the lower pressure member or table 3 and are movable therewith. The table 47 is used with making matrices. placed on said table, the matrix blank placed thereon with blankets, and the whole is then shoved onto the lower brass platen 19, the rubber seal 45 having been prev ously removed.

ion

The form of type or cuts is The table 48 isused when making P ates if -from celluloid or similar plastic material,

and in this case the operatlon of the press is as follows; Thev matrix, with the makeready, if any, a celluloid sheet to form the plate, and the overlay, if any, are assembled on the lower platen while it is out of the press-on the table 48, the rubber ring or .wall

v45 being placed around the platen. 'When assembled the whole is .slid bodily onto-the lower pressure element or table 3. 1.The.cyl inder 16 is then actuated to elevateihelower' ressure member 3, and as soon -as the"frubr ring is compressed sufliciently to :seal the space inclosedtherebythe suction or vacuumconnection '44 is opened to exhaust the space betweenthe resser-plates '01 platens, so that the air betwee."v the matrix, the

celluloid sheet, the make-ready and the platens is exhausted, preventing the accummulation of any air bubbles between these parts. The steam connections to the'hollow plates or platens are then opened, thereby heating the same to render the celluloid sheet plastic. After a short time, about 90 seconds, the press is closed further by admitting more fluid to the cylinder 16, thereby pressing the celluloid plate into the matrix, and forming the plate by the matrix; The steam connections are then closed and the water connections to the presser plates or platens are opened to cool the same and set the celluloid.

\Vhen sutliciently hardened the water connections are closed and the cylinder 16 is released, after which the bottom presser plate or platen 19 with the matrix and work thereon is pulled out upon the table 48, so as to be convenient for removing the work and putting new material and matrix on the same.

The press described is easy and convenient 20 to operate, gives a very powerful pressure, and provides for pressing the sheets between absolutely flat surfaces which have a positive movement from and toward each other in exact parallelism so that the resulting celluloid plate will be of uniform thickness throughout and without danger of having air bubbles distort the same.

The method described in this application is set forth and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 563,617, filed May What I claimis: 1. A combined matrix and plate press comprising upper and lower pressure members, mechanism for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween, hollow presser plates or platens carried by said pressure members, and pipe connections to said presser plates or platens, the lower 4 hollow presser plate or platen being readily movable into and out of the press.

2. A combined matrix and plate press.

comprising upper and lower pressure members, mechanism for producing relative ap- 4 proximation and separation therebetween, hollow presser plates or platens between said pressure members, the upper hollow plate being detachably secured to the upper pressure member and the lower hollow plate being readily movable onto and off the lower pressure member, and pipe connections to said hollow lates or platens.

3. A. com ined matrix and plate press comprising upper and lower pressure members, mechanism for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween, and tables on opposite sides of the press secured to the lower pressure member and movable therewith, one of said tables being on a level with the surface of said lower pressure member, and the other being at a higher level.

4. A press comprisin upper and lower pressure members, mec anism for producing relative approximationandseparation platens, and an exhaust pipe connection to therebetween, hollow presser plates or platens carried by said pressure members, pipe connections to said hollow presser plates or .platens, and tables on opposite sides of said press, said tables being so arranged that when the'lower pressure member and lower presser plate or platen are in their lowermost positions, one of said tables is on a level with the lower pressure member and the other of said tables is on a level with the lower presser plateor platen.

5. A press comprising upper and lower pressure members adapted by .direct contact to press the material into the matrix or form, mechanism for producing relative ap- 0 proximation and separation therebetween, an annular compressible ring or wall adapted to be compressed between said members, and a suction connection from the space inside of said ring or wall and between said 35 pressure members.

6. A press comprising pressure members, mechanism for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween, hollow presser plates or platens carried by said pressure members, pipe 0 nnections to said hollow presser plates or p atens, one of said presser plates or platens bein slidable into and out of the press, and a ta Is at one side in position to receive said platen.

7. A press comprising rigid pressure members, mechanism for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween, light hollow presser plates or platens carried by said pressure members and backed thereby, one of said pressure plates or platens being slidable into and out of the press, and pipe connections to said hollow presser plates or platens.

8. A press comprising upper and lower pressure members, mechanism for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween, flat-faced presser plates 'or platens carried b said pressure members and adapted by irect contact to press the material into the matrix or form, a removable sealing'member on one of said platens and adapted to be compressed between the the space inside of said seal.

9. A press comprising upper and lower pressuremembers, mechanism for producing relative approximation and se aration therebetween,. flat-faced presser p ates or platens carried by said pressure members and adapted by direct contact to press the material into the matrix or form, a compressible seal carried by one of said platens and adapted to contact with p the other platen, and an exhaust ipe' connection to the space inclosed by said seal. v

10. A press comprising upper and lower pressure members, mechanism for producing 4 relative approximation and separatlon therebetween, hollowplatens cooperating 130 Q with said pressure members, the lower platen being movable into and out of the press, pipe connections to said hollow platens, a compressible seal carried by the lower pla en, and an exhaust pipe connection to the space inclosed by said seal...

11. A press comprising rigid upper and lower pressure members, mechamsm for producing relative approximation and separation therebetween w1th their faces in exact parallelism, light hollow platens carried by said pressure members, pipe connections to said hollow p1atens,.and a compressible seal arranged When-the press is closed to inclose the space between said latens.

In testimony whereo I have hereunto set my hand.

MICHAEL Witnesses E. HAssMANN, F. W. WINTER.

A. DROITCOUR. I 

